The Sankey Canal was built in 1757 which makes it first true canal of the Industrial Revolution and the first commercial canal in the UK.
The canal closed in 1963 having fallen out of industrial use, it became unloved and neglected in a post-industrial landscape.
Most of the canal route was owned by the British Waterways Board (now Canal & River Trust) and leased to:
- St Helens Borough Council (SHBC)
- Newton Le Willows Urban District Council (NLWUDC) which become part of St Helens Borough in 1974
- Warrington Borough Council (WBC)
- Halton Borough Council (HBC).
Until the late 1970s the canal was not widely appreciated as a recreational or economic asset. There was no co-ordination between the local authorities, parts of the canal were filled in and some watercourses were diverted along the canal with little consideration for the hydraulic impact on the wider Sankey Valley drainage catchment. More recently, this has had severe consequences in places along the catchment as flooding has been a serious issue due to the fact there is nowhere for heavy rain to run off.
There was one notable exception. Thanks to the enthusiasm and foresight of some local anglers, NLWUDC was persuaded not to fill in its entire length of canal with household refuse. The Penkford Bridge section and from Bradley Lock to Hey Lock and Newton Brook was saved and they are now popular fishing pounds for members of Newton Le Willows Anglers’ Association.
Since the late 1970s there has been a greater appreciation of the canal. In the early 1980s WBC created Fiddlers Ferry Marina and HBC created Spike Island Marina for sea-going and estuary pleasure boats with locks in to the River Mersey. The canal was kept in water from Sankey Bridges to Spike Island but several fixed obstructions prevented navigation by boats. Fiddlers Ferry Power Station pumped purified River Mersey water into the canal on a goodwill basis for nearly forty years. Since the power station’s closure in 2020, and in contrast to the above, a viable water supply has proved elusive. The interim solution uses a combination of natural drainage, rainwater and water pumped directly out of the River Mersey locks.
The aim during the 1980s was to improve the appearance of the canal where it ran through the Sankey Valley Linear Park, which was established between St Helens, Warrington and Widnes. Considerable progress has been made since then to create pleasant blue and green spaces and wildlife havens along the canal corridor.
It has not yet been possible to fund a full restoration of the canal but notable improvements since the 1990s include:
- Restoration of New Double Locks at St Helens
- Construction of all-weather tow path from St Helens – Warrington – Widnes (now known as the Sankey Valley Trail and the Trans Pennine Trail)
- Construction of Marsh House bascule bridge at Fiddlers Ferry Marina
- Improvements and remedial works to Carr Mill Dam overflow channel
- Partial excavation of buried canal structures such as Engine Lock, Newton Common Lock, Winwick Lock and Hulme Lock.
Remarkably, almost the entire canal route exists in a corridor from St Helens to Warrington and Widnes. More than half of the canal is still in water (although not navigable), and there is a waterway and linear park through St Helens town centre. These are significant advantages for our area compared with other towns and canal restoration projects.
Full navigation along the canal is a major project and a long term aspiration but the use of canoes, kayaks and shallow bottomed craft on extended sections of the canal is a realistic short to medium term ambition.
A successful restoration requires imaginative solutions, partnership working by stakeholders and engagement with community groups and volunteers.Our21st century canal does not need to be as wide or deep as the 18th century original (1 – 1.5 metres depth and 6 – 8 metres width are sufficient) and modern lining products and pre-cast concrete sections will help to avoid disturbing the silt on the canal bed.
The key aspects to restoring the canal are:
- Improve and promote what already exists – Reveal heritage features, promote recreational use, improve accessibility for all users and enhance the natural environment and habitats
- Extend the sections of the canal that are already in water – Clear away vegetation, carry out repairs to canal banks and remove the infill material(to be retained on site and used for re-profiling)
- Remove obstructions – Take down redundant weirs and disused pipe crossings, raise the height of low fixed bridges or replace them with swing or lifting bridges
We need to take advantage of any opportunities that arise such as urban regeneration, environmental enhancement and ‘Active Travel’ sustainable transport initiatives.
Engineering Study
Reversing and correcting the actions of the past is entirely possible but there are some engineering challenges. These include dealing with some low height fixed bridges, utility service pipes and cables, embankments and infilled sections of canal that need to be excavated.
A comprehensive engineering study was carried out by Atkins in 1995 identified potential solutions for all of the obstructions.
Linking The Locks
This was a successful project to improve the canal from Fiddlers Ferry Marina to Spike Island Marina and boost opportunities for skills training and apprenticeships. It included the installation of Marsh House bascule bridge at Fiddlers Ferry Marina.